A family has been farming the lands of England for over 160 years producing award-winning Cheddar cheese with their own milk and grandmother Ivy’s secret recipe for generations.
The UK produces over 700 different types of cheese, from Cornish Kern, winner of the ‘World’s Best Cheese’ award to the much-loved Stilton and of course, Cheddar.
For two centuries, the Clothier family has been producing Cheddar cheese in the heart of Somerset in southwest England, but the roots of Cheddar cheese date back even further to the 12th century in the village of Cheddar.
Crafting the finest Cheddar cheese is an art, one that can only be produced by using the best quality milk as Wyke Farms, in the heart of Somerset, only 10 miles from the village of Cheddar only knows too well.
Using artisanal production methods, Cheddar has a sharp, tangy taste that becomes more pronounced as it ages. Flavours can range from mild and creamy to bold and crumbly, a more aged Cheddar.
Prioritising quality, authenticity, and craftsmanship for centuries, Wyke Farms is steeped in history with cheesemaking taking place since 1861.
Made using 100% renewable energy generated from farm and dairy waste, Richard Clothier (53), grandson of Ivy, owner, along with his brother Tom (57), is truly passionate about cheesemaking, “The family has been following farming traditions in the heart of Somerset for generations. With our mild climate and lush, green pastures for grazing, it’s the best place for making Cheddar cheese.
“My Grandmother Ivy’s secret recipe only uses the best quality milk that comes from our two family farms and surrounding farms in the area. The milk is then produced into cheese by using our own natural starters that kick-start the fermentation process. We then keep reactivating and growing them so that no other cheese in the world can taste like Wyke Farms Cheddar. This makes our Cheddar truly unique.”
Describing the area Richard takes us on a journey, “We have the unique characteristics of the area that makes our Cheddar so special. We have the Mendip Hills and the unique climate, we have warm, wet winters as well as summers so have grass growing all year round.
“Somerset is famous for growing grass, and the best thing for producing lovely milk for Cheddar is cows grazing on luscious, green grass. We have the warm maritime air blowing up through the Bristol Channel, up through the Cheddar Gorge into Somerset, which gives us our unique climate and taste to our cheese.”
Eating the Cheddar cheese is the easiest part, explains Richard, “The greatest thing about Cheddar is it’s versatile and convenient. You keep it in the fridge, and you can just take it out and chop it up on a cheese board, serve it with fruit, some cold meats or some fish. You can grate it on top of dishes in the same way as a Parmesan, but Cheddar gives you a more interesting flavour and a nicer texture, so it’s great with pasta.
“You can eat it cooked or raw, it’s the most convenient food in the world. You can also pair it with wine but remember you should always eat our Vintage Cheddar with a lovely, white wine. We recommend a nice dry or fruity white wine with a Vintage Cheddar as they’ll complement each other.”
As well as the care and attention that Wyke Farms put into producing Cheddar cheese, they also make them in the most sustainable way possible, “We run our business in the most sustainable way possible by producing our own energy. We produce our electricity and gas from our own renewable sources. We have an anaerobic digester where we produce our own gas, and a lot of our electricity comes from our solar panels on farm roofs. We also recover water through the plant, so we treat everything as if it’s a finite resource by recycling and recovering everything wherever possible.”
Wyke Farms is a just one example of the many companies producing outstanding cheese throughout the UK, and exported around the world for consumers to savour.
UK food and drink is a remarkable blend of tradition and innovation and stands as one of the most exciting food cultures globally. Tracing ingredients back to their origins and celebrating the landscape that nurture them, from the salty air of Scotland to the rolling hills of Wales for Welsh Lamb and the lush Somerset countryside, provenance matters. This meticulous care ensures that each bite resonates with authenticity and pride.
To find out more about Wyke Farms go to Home | Wyke Farms and to find out more about the GREAT Food and Drink Campaign, visit www.greatbritishfood.ae.